‘Do One Thing And Do It Well’ In Manchester

We speak to Anthony Stankard, founder of Reside Manchester, on his desire to ‘do one thing and do it well.’


Anthony, tell us a bit about your career prior to founding Reside Manchester eight years ago?

I started in estate agency 25 years ago and prior to setting up Reside I was residential director in Manchester for JLL, residential partner at King Sturge and prior to that at Chestertons and Countrywide. I started off covering the beautiful rural suburbs of Warwickshire but quickly realised I much preferred the very fast pace and buzz of the city centre so moved back to Manchester.

And what made you take the plunge to go it alone as an agent?

A desire to ‘do one thing and do it well’. I wanted to really focus on the service alongside intelligent, data driven advice, rather than do some estate agency sales and lettings alongside mortgages, conveyancing referrals and all the other periphery. Focus on residential in the core city centre market and offer honest sensible advice whilst trying to add value to all your clients.

All the team at Reside live and breathe Manchester, with most based in or around the city centre, so can offer genuine insights on life here, socially and culturally, as well as prudent property advice. We all love this city and playing our part in its continued development and we are proud to have helped thousands of people find the right home here.

Why Manchester?

As above - concentrate on the area that you know really well and don’t try to cover everything and everywhere, as your knowledge and ability to do that well becomes diluted. I started working in the city centre in 1998, two years after the IRA bombing. The renaissance of city living which had already started was fast tracked after this terrible incident and when the Commonwealth Games were held here in 2020 people’s perceptions of Manchester shifted considerably. The city’s offering with everything from the football, to the new Factory arts complex to the quality of education and high-quality housing has seen the city go from strength to strength.

How’s business?

Surprisingly good considering the past 18 months, showing how well Manchester as a city has bounced back. The city leaders and city council drive the city forward and Manchester seems to do this better than elsewhere in my opinion. The city is attracting worldwide investment and leads the way in many industries, such as the graphene institute, research & development is thriving along the Oxford Road Corridor which links to the Universities and we have alongside culture and sport. The city core itself is continuing to expand with huge residential investment into areas such as Northern Gateway / Victoria North and Noma, as well as the hugely popular Ancoats & New Islington areas and expansion around Deansgate.

What are the emerging lifestyle trends that you’ve been seeing since the start of the pandemic?

The obvious ones really – working from home considerations where people need a bit more space and excellent broadband, a greater move toward ‘build to rent’ stock, which provides a high level of amenity such as gyms, outside space, socialising space and working spaces which help people new to a city build a community. Broadside in the New Cross / Ancoats area offers two communal roof terraces, wellness studio, residents’ club room and kitchen. We launched lettings during lockdown and have only a handful of apartments left.

How do you think the local property market will perform over the next 12 months?

It’s simply supply versus demand. Manchester is very much in demand, and despite all the cranes on the skyline, there is still a shortfall of supply. The city centre population, currently in the region of 72,000, continues to grow by an estimated 10,000 people every year. It’s a combination of high-quality jobs, be they technical, professional or creative, and the affordability of the Manchester lifestyle. You can rent a great two-bedroom apartment in a building with all amenities and within walking distance of work for £1,400 pcm, in older buildings prices are under £1,000 per month. Our average sale price for property in the centre over the last 12 months was £300,000. Compared to other cities Manchester is affordable and accessible.

What advice would you give somebody looking to buy a new build home in Manchester right now?

Speak to the right agent first, who will be able to offer sensible advice on the whole city centre market, and who is knowledgeable on all the current developments as well as the future pipeline. Because we know developers and their developments so well we can advise on timescales, fit-out and specification, as well as giving an overview on the character and wider plans for each of the city’s neighbourhoods. But probably the best advice is visit if you can and simply walk around! It’s a very accessible city but each area is now developing its own character and style and you should try and work out where you feel ‘at home’.

And finally, what’s in the pipeline for the next 12 months?

Further really exciting new projects for us and for Manchester. The Ancoats area continues to grow with new schemes aimed at owner occupiers. We are about to launch the Deluna building, a small new build scheme which is close to the heart of Ancoats and the developer,

Manchester Life recently received planning permission for an apartment scheme set around communal gardens. Nearby we are completing a new build to rent project in New Cross and we have just helped another client gain planning permission for two 55-storey towers providing more than 1000 new apartments in Castlefield. Also in Castlefield we have been appointed on a new development of seven simply stunning town houses, an indication of how sophisticated the market has become.

As for the city centre there are plans for a Manchester ‘skyline’ park, a new world class events arena in the east of the city, a new Starwood Hotel amongst others, The Factory of course and continued investment in new offices and creative spaces to continue to attract talent.

It’s a great city to be part of and we really do get huge satisfaction from helping people find their home here.